Resorting to Sneakiness
The only way to keep clutter at bay is to keep it moving, especially when you realize how quickly it accumulates. If, despite your best efforts, your child is still a bit of a hoarder and you cannot compel her to place items in the giveaway box, you may need to try one of two approaches.
One approach, advocated by the book
Especially when your child is small, you'll want to help her work out organizational systems that are logical for her. It is reasonable for her to ask for and expect your help. But as she matures, challenge her to take ownership of her own room.
This approach has two great benefits: it teaches the child to be responsible for her own items — a lesson that lasts a lifetime — and it allows the parents to delegate. A parent who can share the work of home organizing with his child is less likely to feel overwhelmed. A child who feels that she has a share in the household is also likely to feel a boost in her self-image. If you take opportunities to help your child cultivate these kinds of skills, she will be better able to manage her home as an adult.
Another — more sneaky — approach is to use those hours when your child is away at school to declutter the room yourself. This is especially recommended for younger children, who are less likely to be upset by a feeling of having their personal boundaries crossed. When children are older, you'll want to work with them to help them purge. As they age, any “invasion” into their rooms when they're not there will be taken as a betrayal.
Although it could be devastating for your child to find that some of her toys have disappeared, it will be more draining for you, over the long haul, to always have to pick up after her. If you follow through with the threat, you'll be surprised at how much more consistent your child will become in her cleaning habits.
Especially when children are small, you may be able to cart-off toys, clothing, and the like without them noticing. You may fear that they'll come home and be devastated by the results of your purge, but instead find that they (like you) are just happy to be in a place that is less cluttered.
Often, after you carry off a few bags of their items, children discover toys that they had forgotten. Many young children will spend hours quietly “rediscovering” their more precious toys that may have been obscured by the clutter. It can be a great joy, for both parents and children, to finally be able to appreciate what they have instead of always thinking in terms of more. Clutter invites more clutter. Things don't look (or feel) right, so you're tempted to try to buy additional things to fix the problem. In an orderly and serene environment, however, contentment will come naturally.
If you're living in a tight space, consider the following space-saving options:
Add hooks on the closet door(s) and inside the closet (on the side walls) for jackets, shoe bags, and other items.
Free up valuable floor space by utilizing a loft bed for your child. The sleeping area is on the top, while a desk, dresser, shelves, or other forms of storage space can be built beneath the bed.
If you need to accommodate more than one child in a room, get bunk beds.
Install shelving on the walls, as opposed to using a freestanding shelf unit that takes up floor space. On these shelves, store books, toys, collectibles, trophies, and other items.
Install underbed drawers and use underbed storage bins for off-season clothing, toys, sports equipment, and so on. It may make sense to raise the bed slightly to create additional underbed storage.
Keep furniture to a minimum. Whenever possible, choose pieces of furniture designed for multiple uses. For example, some children's beds already have shelving or drawers built in.
Make full use of closet organization tools to best utilize closet space.
Take advantage of the storage space that a good-sized toy chest provides. This can be a central location where toys are kept. Within the toy chest, use plastic bins or shoe boxes to separate toys with lots of small pieces, such as building blocks, toy cars, board games, action figures, dolls (and accessories), and trading cards.
Display shelving can sometimes be installed about a foot down from the ceiling line. You can use this shelf space to show off collections, trophies, artwork, and other items that don't need to be readily accessed.
Although basic organization can go a long way toward helping your child live more fully in her space, you can also choose items carefully to best serve the space your child inhabits. Finding the furniture that's well built, functional, visually appealing, durable, and within your budget requires searching. Be prepared to visit a number of furniture stores to see the available options. If this furniture will be used by young children, pay careful attention to the quality of construction and think in terms of product safety.
If you're budget-conscious, shop around by visiting your local furniture retailers (including children's-furniture specialty stores and department stores), and then use the Internet to compare prices from online retailers. It's not a good idea, however, to purchase children's furniture you haven't seen, touched, and examined firsthand.
Don't try to save money by purchasing poor-quality furniture or secondhand furniture (especially for an infant or toddler) that may not meet the latest safety guidelines issued by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (
No matter where you buy furniture, keep the following tips in mind:
Figure out your budget and time frame.
Decide on a basic look, style, or theme.
As you see what's available, compare value, workmanship, durability, and safety features.
Keep storage capabilities foremost in mind.
You can utilize several different types of storage in a bedroom, including open storage (shelves and baskets), closed storage (armoires, bins, chests, underbed storage, and dressers), convenient storage (closets), and remote storage (closets and storage options in other areas of your home, such as the basement, attic, or garage).
Baskets, cubbies, and cabinets can increase storage.
Make sure the individual pieces of furniture you choose will fit properly into the layout (both size and décor) of the room as well as into your budget. For example, if you're purchasing a large dresser, is there ample room to open the dresser drawers? After you know the exact measurements of the bedroom as well as the individual pieces of furniture you're interested in, sketch out on paper the room's proposed layout.
